It is well known in the field of hydraulic fracturing operations that proppant in the form of fracturing sand emits dust which is hazardous to human health. As one example, fracturing sand contains silica to which exposure by the inhalation of silica dust can lead to a development of the disease silicosis.
In a hydraulic fracturing operation, one area thereof where dust emanation is prevalent is in transfer of the proppant from storage containers to the blender. Often, a number of such storage containers presently in the typical form of upstanding transportable silos are arranged in an array feeding to a common transfer conveyor which subsequently discharges the proppant to the blender where the proppant is mixed with other substances to be readied for further use in the fracturing operation. Human input in proximity of this equipment is still required for operation thereof and thus it is desirable to reduce dust exposure to human operators so as to provide a healthier working environment.
Attempts have been made to cover transfer points in the flow of proppant from storage container to main transfer conveyor to blender for example with simple canvas tarps, but these arrangements are relatively crude and do not provide adequate sealing and thus containment of dust at the transfer points.